Josh Morgan and Shane Mardirosian have been close friends since the second grade.

After growing together, laughing together and honing their athletic skills together, they now can pursue their dream of reaching the major leagues together.

Morgan, a lifelong Corona resident who attended Orange Lutheran, was selected in the third round, No.95 overall, by the Texas Rangers in the Major League Baseball amateur draft on Friday morning.

Four rounds later the Cincinnati Reds selected Mardirosian, a second baseman from Riverside King, with the No.215 pick.

âItâs been an amazing experience just coming up and going through this with Shane,â Morgan said. âItâs been really fun. Heâs a great person and a great player.â

Added Mardirosian: âItâs a dream come true being drafted together. Weâll always stay close friends and baseball is one of those things thatâs brought us closer together.â

Morgan, a shortstop, was the first Inland area player selected in the draft. After graduating last weekend, he was sitting on the couch at his Corona home when he got the call.

âI was just at home sitting and waiting,â he said. âOnce the call came up I got really excited.â

Mardirosian also was at home watching the draft with friends and actually missed the call informing him he was about to be selected.

âI didnât even know they actually drafted me,â Mardirosian said. âI guess I missed the call and got a voicemail. I checked and saw it was the Reds scout, and as soon as I called him back I looked on the screen and saw my name.â

Murrieta Valley third baseman Kevin Padlo also got the call he has been waiting for Friday afternoon. The power-hitting infielder was picked in the fifth round, No.143 overall, by the Colorado Rockies.

Cal Baptist righthander Trevor Oaks is staying close to home after the Dodgers picked him in the seventh round, No.219 overall.

Oaks, who went to high school at Woodcrest Christian, was the first area college player picked and is the highest draft selection in CBU history.

âIt was pretty sweet,â he said. âThe Dodgers have a great reputation for developing pitchers, and I really look up to (pitcher) Clayton Kershaw, so Iâm hoping that maybe one day I can even play with him.

âHaving the support of my friends and family is really big to me, and knowing they can come out to watch some of my games thatâs such a blessing.â

UC Riverside shortstop Nick Vilter was the final local player selected on the draftâs second day. The San Diego Padres took the power-hitting junior in the ninth round, No.267 overall.

The third and final day of the draft, consisting of rounds 11 through 40, starts today at 10 a.m.

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